The Gateway Through Which They Came (32 page)

zzie squeals into the turn as I make my way to Mill Street. It’s early morning, an hour before Father Martin will be here to open the church. I barely squeeze parallel between two parked cars, and manage to avoid hitting them along the way. Passersby witness my erratic behavior, but I wave them off to prevent any unwanted attention.

A car horn blares at me as I scurry ahead of it to the other side of the street. The church steps are slick with leftover rain, so I reach for the railing and lunge my way to the door. I look around, trying to act calm, but I’m far from it. Anxiety and desperation rocket inside of me. The cold, the shadows, the altar candles. It’s been him this whole time. Could he be protecting the church from the evil of his brother? If the Dark Priest is near, he’s got to know where he is. And maybe then he could lead me to Koren.

Knowing the door is locked, I try anyway, just in case. As expected, it doesn’t budge. I knock quietly at first to get his attention. I know he’s in there. He has to be.

“Father Raimi,” I call into the cracks of the door.

No response.

“Father Raimi!” I knock harder this time.

Silence.

Without raising my voice, I say, “I know, okay? I know who you are, Lucius.”

I press my body into the door, listening for any sounds. A hint of something to tell me he’s on the other side. Nothing answers back. Feeling the sudden weight of defeat, I turn away. There’s no telling if I’ll see him again.

I consider waiting on the steps until Father Martin shows, drifting in a trance toward the stairs.

A click of a lock releasing from its hold jolts me back to reality. The door opens enough to allow a little sunlight into the sanctuary. Cautiously, I push the door forward, the hinges creaking in its wake. The sunlight crawls up the aisle as if chasing away the darkness, stopping just before the altar. Candles are lit, several more than before. With his back to me, Father Raimi stares up above in prayer.

I slip in quietly, closing the door behind me with care. The room is empty aside from us, dark with chilling cold and musky air like that from the tunnels. Taking my time, I creep in the direction of the altar, watching his every move. If he’s been here this long, after all this time, he’s sure to be something more. It’s not possible for a Bleeder to keep themselves from going Dark Side. But these last few weeks, he’s shown no signs of having gone rogue. Regardless, I can’t ignore the possibility.

I stop behind him at the sound of his voice.

“You mustn’t be so cautious. I’m not going to hurt you,” he says.

When he turns, it’s with the same kind expression I’ve come to know. His face is softer than the picture, not as harsh or powerful. The pain and regret in his eyes are as clear as they were before.

“You’ve been here all this time,” I say. “When you said you came back after reclaiming your faith, where did you go?”

He clasps his hands in front of him, a gentle grin lifting the corners of his mouth. “You should know that there are things well beyond this world, Aiden. After all, you’re a Gateway.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” He’s calm and content. A little too much for my liking.

“I know what you think of me. I’m aware that most of us, how do I say it? Change? Others like me, they turn when they can’t handle it any longer on this plane. But I’ve paid my dues.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” His answer is too simple.

“How does a Bleeder pay his dues?”

Father Raimi chuckles at this. “Bleeder? Is this your term for us?”

I don’t answer.

“Well, who do you think told the others where to find The Order?”

Others. The Men of Light.

“You mean you—”

“Gave up my brothers, yes. It took a long time to forgive myself, but I did what needed to be done.”

He could be lying, but when has he ever deceived me? I could have fallen into the depths of the tunnels. He could have let me, but he didn’t.

Father Raimi takes a step closer. In return, I take a step back.

“What is it about me that frightens you? Have I ever harmed you?”

“I’ve never been one to trust a Bleeder.” I take another step back to create more space between us.

“That didn’t stop you from talking to me before. What’s changed? I’m no different.” He follows, stepping forward again.

“Because… you’re one of them.”

“So because my brother is the Dark Priest, the fact that a higher power has granted me a life outside of darkness means nothing?”

“You’re asking me to believe in something I’ve never seen.”

Father Raimi nods with understanding. “You don’t believe in God, yet he has blessed you with his touch. A gift that grants peace to souls who need guidance. Even this is not worthy of your faith?”

He has a point, but he’s not telling me anything new. This is a lecture I’ve gotten several times from Father Martin. I know what I do is unique and magical in its own way. Though what it’s done to my life has been anything but. I have to remind myself that it’s the Light that’s kept me from becoming something too dark to turn back from. How can I ignore that?

“I’m not sure your faith and mine are the same thing,” I say.

“I see.” He nods again, a strange twitch of a smile coming to life. “What of the voices in your head, Aiden? Or that book you keep? Are you denying what those things make you feel in your gut?”

I regret confiding in him, exposing that part of me that shouldn’t exist.

A warmth inside of me burrows like the smoke of a fire inside a locked room. Darkness awakens, nudging me from the depths, searching for an escape. I can feel every part of me reacting to his words, believing what he says is true. A part of me that I wish I could remove, be rid of altogether, is alive and knocking at my bones.
Let us out, Aiden. Let us out,
it says.

“No.” I back toward the exit, picking my feet up slowly as I go. “You’re wrong.”

Father Raimi tilts his head, offering a hand. “Let me take you to the tunnels, Aiden. We’ll end this together.”

This could be it. My only chance to come face-to-face with the Dark Priest, putting an end to whatever he’s done to me. And if he has Koren, if she’s down there somewhere, how can I resist?

My mind is made up. Who better to have on my side than the brother of the very beast causing this nightmare? I accept his offer with a nod, despite the warning blaring in my mind. Father Raimi is pleased, pointing the way.

If something bigger than me can forgive him for his treachery, shouldn’t I?

blinding ray of light shoots across the room, so intense I’m forced to cover my eyes. I blink back the spots obstructing my vision as Father Martin enters the church.

“What in the world? How did you get in here?” He peers around me, investigating the room.

I turn back to the altar to find it empty, the candles extinguished. Father Raimi has fled before I can accept his offer, leaving me helpless for the time being. I curse under my breath.

“The door was open,” I manage to say.

Should I tell him about Father Raimi? Does he know? I consider this. He used to be the one person I could speak to freely on this matter, but even he can only take so much. Somewhere, I have to draw the line. I’m in this on my own, whether I want to be or not.

“Open?” Father Martin inspects the door handle, baffled. “It’s a good thing you discovered it first.”

“I agree,” I say, shaking off the remnants of anxiety and panic.

After thoroughly checking for a break-in, Father Martin calls a locksmith to confirm all is well, and carries on with his day. With the holiday coming up, hordes of families visit the church, keeping him too busy to over think it. By noon Father Martin has prayed with dozens of worshippers, and with each hour a new batch passes through the doors. The day shows no sign of slowing when Father Martin finds me at the back of the church.

“It’s Friday,” he says, as I finish polishing the last of the statues. “How about you take the rest of the day off?”

“Really?”

“Sure. I’ll speak to Father Williams this evening and see about getting you back in school come Monday.” He removes the cloth from my hands and smiles.

“That would be great. Thank you, Father.”

As I turn to walk away, he adds, “The time is now, Aiden. I suggest you gather your strength and call upon the Lord to see you through this.”

Great. Add that to the parting-words-you-never-want-to-hear list.